Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-03

Two fftftfe hllfrn You were Iince1t uA&HN-
ecious upon this bed
.t'Where il shcF asked.
.Shes Who
g Alice! Ny lovely Alicel Where d
shef'
THE physician turned 10 the bystanu-
ers ind Struggling his shoulders tapped
his forehead with one Of his fingers.
'Wretchesr | cried, raising myself
in bed, you know not what YOU have
done. You have left her alive ia the
tomb. saw her hand move inst before
clasped her to my breast. No power
in the world can hold me back now. I
viii open the portal Of that tomb or die
in the cifort!'
"The bystandcrs looked at the physi-
clan.
. THE excrtion may be fatal TO Mr..
Benoni, he said. On the other hand,
this excitement surely win be- Besides,
you tell me that in the tumult attending
his removal from the coffin the lid was
not closed. That can be done, and Mr..
Benoni at the same time become satisfied
that his imagination has played him
false. II may have wholesome effect
upon him, was added in an undertonv.
TO get in readiness 10 start 70 enter
q carriage drive through the town and
into the cemetery, occupied barely an
hour. Yet, when we drew up in front
OF the tomb. it seemed to me as il ycara
had elapsed What wild fancies wllirled
through my brain during that dreary
drive--my beautiful Alice rising in her
coffin; stretching ont her arms into the
awful darkness of tho tomb and piteously
calling my name; calling it still as slrl
gropes her way alone the damp wslls 81
the portal; shricking with despair as heL.
finds it closed; tearing her flesh from htr
FINGERS in her frantic efforts to loize the
iron lock and free. herself; groYing her
way once moro along the dausp walls
only to find herself again at TIM unyicId-
| ing portal: mad with famine beating her
head against the cruel iron; in the agony
of insanity tearing out handfuls Of her
raven hair; in the last desperation of
madness grasping the lock again and fall
ing with moan lifeless against the por-
tall Do you wonder that beads Of per-
spiration were on my brow when ws
reached the tomb. | snatchcd the largo
key from the hand Of ono Of my relatiyes
who had accompanied me. turned Il in
Tie lock and pushed back the portal. 1t
opened slowly for few inches. Then
something impcded it. Almost frantic, |
called upon those who had come with me
to summon all their strength. With o
i great effort VIC made the portal yield
enough to admit me. rushed through
the opening. When barely in the tomb
stumbled and fell. As fell, cllitched
about me, and felt ono hand close upon
an arm. The others had followed me-;
They dragged me out, my hand still
clutching that arm. What was It they
drew out after me? Alice? Oh. horrorl
\ Let Inc not call that llideolis, distorted
vision OF her by that name! Villains, !
sbrieked, as lyazed upon her laccrated,
bleeding form, you are her Nnr,lerefs
you who dragged me from her side and
closed the portal Of this tomb upon,
herr Y
Mr. Beloi,ii buried led Hi: his face in bis hands.
and saw that he was trembling With
excitement DIR. Banks beckoned u
Arundel. The latter approached, ana
without further order took q seat besida
,lc narrator. AS DR.. Banks and / wal aedi
,lway | asked: .sArc you not afraid 70
learc him with only Arundel to looksafter
hirl?" 10
"No. Benoni is not a raving Maniac.
Indeed. he is one of the most tractable
ianiates Of my asylum, and Arundel is a
ttilsty keeper
Has his story no foundation of fact?
In it all the offspring Of his diseased
nind?"
There Is foundation fer much of til
i,enoni's wife was beautiful woman
named Alice Mowbray. They had known
each other since childhood, and their
union was singularly happy. Three years
. after their marriage she died, during the
, typhus epidemic here some twenty five
years ago. Her death unsettled his rea-
son. He would not believe that she was
dead. In thcstomb he insisted on being
allowed to see her face again. For fear
of maddening him they complied with
. his wish and opened the coffin. 1t was
then his mind gave way. lie clasped his
wife dead form to his breast, and had
, to DO removed by force. He has been
hopelessly insane since then his insanity
, taking the shape Of d fixed idea that
, some time after his wifc's death, as tho
story he told you ran, the tomb was
: opened, and it was discovered that she
! had been buriedalive. ] had just opened
this private asylum, and he was placed
in my charge, and has been lcre ever
, SINCE"
Three years after / had heard Mr..
Benoni's story received, while I was
, travelling abroad, letter from Dr..
Banks, announcing the death Of his pa
tent. .,You doubtless remember bis
, wild tale, he wrote Il have something
: to add Day before yesterday the tomb
| was opened in order that the catafalque
! upon which his remains were to DO
placed beside those of his wife might be
prepared. The coffin in which Mrs.
Banoni's body lay when they closed the
tomb. some twenty years ago, was
found to be open and empty. On search
, ing the tomb they found near the portal
portions Of a skeleton, and, clutching tho
lock SO firmly that they had to loose them
by force, skeleton fingers.
Was Mr.. Benoni afflicted with madness
! or gifted with second sight? Gustlve
: K<.1<1.<. -. I-....,f-